What Can We Eat?

Stan and Clarence chat with Teresa Ambroz about nutrition as a means of disease prevention.

Teresa Ambroz

"We all share a goal of helping Minnesotans improve their health and increase access to healthy choices" (speaking on partnership between the Oral Health Program, the Office of Statewide Health Improvement Initiatives, the Drinking Water Protection Section, and the Environmental Health Division on creating more drinking fountains)
Author of several publications and articles

Discussion Topics

Many chronic diseases (type 2 diabetes, stroke, heart disease, cancer, etc) are preventable as they’re linked to poor diet and lifestyle choices…” (Harvard SPH)
A healthy diet helps children grow and develop properly and reduces their risk of chronic diseases. Adults who eat a healthy diet live longer and have a lower risk of obesity, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers. Healthy eating can help people with chronic diseases manage these conditions and avoid complications. (CDC)
As many as 80% of people with cancer experience malnutrition…studies have shown that interventions like medical nutrition therapy can help people with cancer keep a healthy body weight, maintain strength, respond to cancer treatment, and have a better quality of life. (NIH study)

For most people food is cultural, not nutritional. A plant or animal may be considered edible in one society and inedible in another. (Biomedical and Pharmacology Journal)

Food habits are among the oldest and most deeply entrenched aspects of many cultures and cannot, therefore, be easily changed, or if forcibly changed, can produce a series of unexpected and unwelcome reactions.

People in low-income communities and some racial and ethnic groups often lack access to convenient places that offer affordable, healthier foods. (CDC)

The most common unhealthy foods include highly-processed items “such as fast foods and snack foods…Highly-processed foods tend to be low in nutrients (vitamins, minerals and antioxidants) and high on empty calories due to the content of refined flours, sodium and sugar.” (AHA)

When healthy options are not available, people may settle for foods that are higher in calories and lower in nutritional value. (CDC)
Most people in the United States don’t eat a healthy diet and consume too much sodium, saturated fat, and sugar, increasing their risk of chronic diseases. For example, fewer than 1 in 10 adolescents and adults eat enough fruits or vegetables. In addition, 6 in 10 young people aged 2 to 19 years and 5 in 10 adults consume at least one sugary drink on any given day. (CDC)

Do our needs change as we get older?
Older adults generally have lower calorie needs, but similar or even increased nutrient needs compared to younger adults. This is often due to less physical activity, changes in metabolism, or age-related loss of bone and muscle mass. Nutrient needs in this population are also affected by chronic health conditions, use of multiple medicines, and changes in body composition. (US Dept. of Health and Human Services)

Older adults should pay special attention to healthy sources of protein and vitamin B12 absorption

Research supports an association between a high intake of sugar-sweetened beverages and an increased risk of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. (Harvard SPH)
A properly balanced diet is an important element in the prevention of civilization-related diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity. (NIH study)

Processed food are any raw agricultural commodities that have been washed, cleaned, milled, cut, chopped, heated, pasteurized, blanched, cooked, canned, frozen, dried, dehydrated, mixed or packaged — anything done to them that alters their natural state. (Dept. of Agriculture)

Depending on the degree of processing, many nutrients can be destroyed or removed. (Harvard SPH)

Ultra-processed food consumption seems to be inevitable due to many factors including convenience, low prices and efficient marketing, but also the possibility of virtually unlimited enrichment with biologically active ingredients. (NIH study)
Minimally processed foods have a place in healthy diets. (Mayo Clinic)

Examples: low-fat milk, whole grain bread, pre-cut vegetables, canned fruits and vegetables, fortified juice and cereals

Processing by certain methods like pasteurization, cooking, and drying can destroy or inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria. Additives such as emulsifiers preserve the texture of foods, such as preventing peanut butter from separating into solid and liquid parts. (Harvard SPH)

Requiring restaurants to serve specified drinks (milk or water) as the default beverage for children's meals
Known as the “healthy kids meal bill”
The bipartisan legislation was introduced in response to damaging long-term health impacts of unhealthy eating and drinking on children in Minnesota.

Updated in 2016 to reflect updated scientific information, including information about the link between diet and chronic diseases, such as obesity and heart disease.